The commerce sector is strongly involved in the new energy efficiency agreement period 2026–2035
The commerce sector is involved in the new energy efficiency agreement period, which began at the beginning of 2026. So far, five large companies in the commerce sector and several thousand locations have joined the agreement. The agreement helps companies to improve energy efficiency in the long term, strengthen sustainability work and meet the obligations of the Energy Efficiency Directive.
The current period (2026–2035) is the fourth energy efficiency agreement period. All major operators in the daily consumer goods trade and several other major companies in the commerce sector have joined, and it is still possible to join.
The agreements are governed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Energy Authority, and Motiva is responsible for practical coordination. The agreement supports organisations in the goal-oriented and continuous development of energy efficiency and helps companies to improve the efficiency of their energy consumption and meet the tightening targets of the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive.
The Finnish Commerce Federation considers energy efficiency measures to be an important part of the competitiveness and sustainability development of the sector.
“Energy efficiency is a significant competitive factor for the commerce sector. All achieved savings reduce costs while supporting environmentally sustainable operations. The agreement offers companies a flexible and cost-effective way to meet legal obligations and receive support for systematic energy efficiency work,” says Lauri Leskinen, Chief Policy Adviser of the Finnish Commerce Federation.
“The uncertain global situation may affect the price of energy, which encourages companies to continue investing in energy efficiency,” he adds.
The previous contract period created significant savings
During the last contract period (2017–2025), 23 companies and a total of more than 2,700 locations in the commerce sector were involved.
By the end of 2024, more than 6,200 energy efficiency measures had been reported, and their combined annual energy savings exceeded 392 GWh. This corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 45,000 Finnish households. By the end of 2024, companies in the commerce sector had invested a total of EUR 105 million in energy efficiency.
The measures included, among other things, the use of wind power, electricity produced by solar panels, improving the efficiency of heating systems, the renewal of cooling solutions and the efficient use of waste heat.
“The investments made have had a significant impact on the energy efficiency of companies in the commerce sector, and as energy has been saved, the investments have enabled companies to save on energy costs,” says Leskinen.
During the last agreement period (2017–2025), approximately 780 companies and more than 160 municipalities and joint municipal authorities were involved. More than 31,000 energy efficiency measures reported by the actors of the agreement reduced annual energy consumption by more than 16 terawatt hours and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 3.5 million tonnes.
More than 340 organisations from different sectors and approximately 3,200 locations have joined the agreement period that began at the beginning of this year. The goal of the new agreement period is to cover approximately 60 per cent of Finland’s total energy consumption.
More companies can still join the agreement, but in terms of impact, the hope is that medium-sized and large energy users in particular will join as the potential impact of their energy efficiency measures is the greatest.
For further information, please contact:
Lauri Leskinen, Chief Policy Adviser, Finnish Commerce Federation, tel. +358 44 091 1067, lauri.leskinen(at)tekninen.fi